It's umm... Chicken... Helping out with your picky kids

How many of you have finicky eaters in the house? Yeah, that's what I thought. Here are some tips to get your picky eaters to try new foods. I have tried all of these suggestions and they have all worked at different times.

1) Involve your kids in the cooking process

Kids love to help out, especially in the kitchen and if they are involved in making what's for dinner, they will be a lot more willing to taste what they help to make.

2) Let'em Dip
If your kids are anything like mine, they like to dip their food. Ketchup, honey mustard, ranch, bbq sauce... When my daughter was 1, she wanted nothing to do with meat or veggies. When I introduced her to dipping and she started to eat both. After a while, I cut down on the dip and now at 3 she eats pretty much whatever I put in front of her. Just be careful because dips can be high in salt and fat, so don't go for this option all of the time. 

3) Don't give in
We all know it's easier to give in than try and argue with a toddler but in the long run you are only hurting your child and yourself. By giving into your kids picky eating, you are only reinforcing their pickyness. And really, do you want to be preparing 2 plus dinners a night to cater to all of the finicky eaters in your house? I think not!

4) Tell 'em it's chicken
If all else fails, go for a little white lie. I don't advocate lying to children out of convenience but bottom line, your kids need to have a well balanced diet. If you have tried everything else and it is not working, tell them it's chicken or something else they like, and hope they eat it. The most important thing is to keep introducing new foods, because eventually they'll come around... Most of them anyway. :)

Quell the Smell

If you know me, you know I love, love love animals; everything from horses to hamsters. If I had my choice I would live in a zoo. (I actually tried one time, and was almost arrested, jk :p) As of right now, I am the proud pet parent of a cat, a rabbit and two adorable rats. I have slowly tried to make my own house a mini-zoo, but alas my fiance caught on and put a stop to that, real quick. The main reason being, taking care of animals can be a lot of work, as I sure any of you reading this know. The biggest concern of most pet owners is the smell  their pets can give their house. When someone walks into your house, you don't want the first thing they think to be, "WHOA, pets live here". Nobody wants that, not you, and not your guest.

There are tons and tons of different cleaning products on the market that claim to quell the pet smell. I think I have tried them all. Bleach used to be my favorite, until I found out, that unless it is rinsed extremely thoroughly, it can arm the animals lungs, not to mention your clothes. Then, there are the products that are supposed to be specifically for pet odor; I have tried about 5 different kinds and have found that they actually can enhance the pet stink, go figure. Now, my go to cleaner is, Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner. I use it to scrub the litter box, the rabbit and rats' cages, the tub, stove, the floors(tile and hard wood) and just about everything else.  This stuff is great! It is non-toxic, biodegradable and kills pet odor. Also, it can be used on almost any surface, even finished wood. Not only does it erase pet odors, it also cuts greases and soap scum, with ease. Another good thing about it is it is cheap. I paid $10 at B.J's for a gallon of the stuff, plus it came with a full spray bottle to boot. One thing to keep in mind, is you may want to buy an extra spray bottle because it is concentrated. That in itself is another benefit, because one bottle goes a long way. It has a light lime scent and you don't have to worry about feeling like you're being asphyxiated while you clean, as can happen with harsher chemicals such as bleach and ammonia( don't ever use them together, in case you didn't know). 


Oh, and just to let you know I have not been given anything by the makers of Simple Green to write this. They have no Idea that I love their product :)

Fightin' The Blues

                                                            FIGHTIN' THE BLUES


The doldrums, the blues, the blahs; whatever you call it, we all get it. You know those days where you feel like your couch has a gravitational pull, you can't even think about wearing anything other than your Pjs and slippers, and you dread answering the phone, if it rings. Sometimes it's hard to get out of a funk like that, but there are a few simple things you can do to fight back the lethargarian attack. My grandmother always told me if you look better you feel better.

• TAKE A SHOWER- It may seem like no brainer, but when your couch has the above mentioned gravitational pull, sometimes it's not so obvious.
• DO YOUR HAIR- After you get out of the shower, don't go for the usual ponytail, messy bun or air dry look. Blow it dry, straighten it, curl it actually style it. This is even a great time to try that new style you've been looking at.
• PUT SOME MAKE UP ON- Sometimes a little blush, eye shadow and mascara is all it takes to make a world of difference
• PICK OUT A NICE OUTFIT- I'm not saying bust out an evening gown, but break out that new shirt that is sitting in your closet with the tags still on it and nice pair of jeans or maybe even a skirt
• GO FOR A WALK- Now that you look -and hopefully feel- good, show yourself off. Even if it's only a stroll around the block, studies show that even mild exercise can do wonders for the mood. Get out there and get that blood flowing

Hopefully these simple tips will help you on those days you are just not quite feeling like yourself.
Let me know how it works for you! GOOD LUCK ;)